Conventional agricultural seed applications utilize two different carts for transporting seed to the field and from the field. In the spring, a seed cart is used to transport seed to a planter in the field. Normally, a seed cart does not have scales or load cells for weighing seed. In the fall, a yield cart is often used to test sample seeds harvested from the field. The yield cart includes load cells for weighing seed samples. The load cells in prior art yield carts have been mounted in the axles of the trailer. Thus, the load cells are subjected to rotational torque, which limits the speed of the yield cart to approximately 15 m.p.h. The conventional yield cart is not designed to transport harvested seed, but rather collects a relative small sample for testing and then discharges or dumps the tested seed into a larger wagon for transport.
Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved cart which can be used in the spring and the fall for weighing and transporting seed at speeds of 50 m.p.h. or more.
Another objective of the present invention is a combination seed and yield cart which is useful in both the spring and the fall for transporting seed to and from the field and for weighing seed.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved cart having load cells for weighing seed wherein the cells are not subject to rotational torque.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a seed weighing and transport device having a trailer with a hopper removably mounted thereon for weighing and transporting seed.
These and other objections will become apparent from the following description of the invention.
A combination seed weighing and transport cart includes a trailer adapted to be hitched to a vehicle for towing, and a hopper removably mounted on the trailer. The hopper has one or more compartments for holding seeds and an auger for removing the seeds from the compartment. The hopper is supported on legs. The hopper is portable and includes load cells adjacent each of the legs so that the load cells are functional on any support surface, including the trailer, the ground, a floor, or a bed of a truck. The load cells are sandwiched between the hopper and the support surface, and are free from rotational torque. The hopper is adjustably mounted on the trailer.